Collapsible tube



June 11, 1946. w. zAHARA COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed Jan. 2, 1945 JNVENTOR.HZZZLe'r .Za/Zara,

Patented June Il, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE 2,401,784 coLLArsmLETUBE Walter Zahara, Chicago, Ill. Application Januar-ye, 194s, serialNo. 471,097

The present invention relates to collapsible tubes for dispensing toothpaste, salves, creams, paste, etc., and has for its main object theprovisionof a tube to be made out of oiled or im` pregnated paper, orsuitable cellulosic material, and which may be suitably formed out o1 asingle blank.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of atube of the character indicated in which marginal folds', which in thecompleted tube will form one of the Walls thereof, may retaintherebetween metallic, or other suitable strip for the purpose offacilitating the rolling of the tube at one end thereof and forretaining the roll in position as the same is being made for the purposeof ejecting thec'ontents of the tube through the usual neck at theopposite end of the tube.

f It is a well known fact that fabric material, such as impregnatedpaper or cellulose has a tendency to assume its original position, andthus a tube made of such a material would have a tendency to unwind atits roll at one end of the tube,

-, therefore a further object of the present invention is to providemeans whereby the roll when formed would maintain its shapewithoutunwinding.

IA still further object of the present invention is the provision of atube of the character indicated and which may be made out of a, singleblank sheet, with suitable creases provided therein to facilitatefolding of the blank, whereby the tube may assume polygonal formation ontransverse cross section, with oneend of said vblank suitably slit toprovide a plurality of flaps, which, when folded, may provide transverseend wall for the tube.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of atube of polygonal formation on cross section, to facilitatecollapsibility of the tube and rolling of one end thereof to eject thecontents of the tube.

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-107) fer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views; i Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the tube; Fig. -2is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the tube on an enlarged scale,taken online 2-2 of Fig. 1, with neck and -neckretaining member inelevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 3--3 oi' Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an elevational discharge end view of the tube;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of the end wallretaining fixture with the neck integrally formed therewith; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view 'of the blank, on a reduced scale, out ofwhich the tube isvformed.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown therein arectangular blank Il, made out of impregnated paper, cellulose, or othercellulcsic material. A plurality of ylongitudinal creases II is madefinsaid blank III, to divide said blank longitudinally into a pair ofmarginal folds I2, four narrower strips I3, a, pair of which is disposedadjacent to each of the said marginal folds I2, and acentral strip Ilinterposed between the two pairs of strips I3. Strips I3 are of equalwidth, but are narrower than said marginal folds I2 and strip I4.

One end of said blank I0 is incised, as at I5, to

effect at the ends of folds I2, and strips I3 and Il, a, plurality offlaps I6. Said incisions I5 ex-l tend to the vdotted line I1 `alongwhich said flaps I6, when bent, transversely and perpendicularly totheir respective folds I2 and strips I3 and I4 will constitute the endwall I8-in the finished tube I9.

For the sake of clearness sections of the Wallin the completed tube aredesignated with 'the same corresponding characters as folds I2 andstrips I3 and Il.

When the blank, shown in Fig. 6, has been prepared in accordance withthe hereinabove description, the same ls bentv longitudinally and alongcreases II. A metallic strip 20, preferably of ductile or pliablecharacter, is interposed between marginal folds I2, and thereupon saidmarginal folds are cemented to each other. Said strip 2II does notextend to wall I8 but terminates short thereof, but the opposite endthereof is coextensive with the opposite end of tube I9.

When the side wall of the tube has been formed as aforesaid, severalflaps I6 are thereupon bent perpendicularly to the body portion of thetube, first preferably bending the narrower flaps I6, those extendingfrom strips I3, thereupon bending the central flap I6, the one extendingfrom strip I4, and thereupon bending the double flap I6 extending fromthe two overlapping marginal folds I2. All these flaps I6 are cementedto each other and pressed, so that in the finished tube they willconstitute the end transverse Wall I8, which will present a solid,compact and homogeneous formation, unlike the loose and exaggeratedcondition thereof illustrated in Fig. 2, Thereupon in said wall I8 andcentrally thereof a central aperture 2I is made throughwhich anexternally threaded neck 22 extends for the purpose of receiving a usualcap. Said neck 22 is integrally formed with a polygonal plate 23,preferably made of suitable plastic material, which is positioned incontactual relation with the inner i From the hereinabove description itwill be t seen that the tube, being of polygonal formation, will presenta plurality of corners or angles made along creases II, which facilitatecollapsibility of the tube, eliminating drag or distortion which usuallyoccurs in cylindrical tubes.

` At the closed end of the tube the usual roll is made, the outermostedge of which is clamped within a U-shaped clasp 21. At that end of thetube wider wall sections I2 and III as Well as the two adjacent pairs ofwall sections I3 are in contactual relation. The two opposed anglesbetween the adjacent wall sections I3 completely close, and angles 25between sections I2 and I4 and the adjacent sections I3completely openas i the wall of the tube is progressively wound in roll 26, as isindicated in Fig- 1, for the purpose, of ejecting the contents of the'tube through bore 24.

Due to the pliable or'ductile nature of strip 20 roll 26, once made,will be retained in position, notwithstanding the tendency of fibrousmaterial of the wall of the tube to assume its original formed position.Since the several sections of the walls of the tube, as well as strip20, are

straight, and not arcuate as in cylindrical tubes, the formation of roll26 will progress without any undue distortion or drag upon the wall ofthe tube. Likewise, due to the fact that the several sections of thewall of lthe tube are straight, the contents of the tube will n ot tendto be retained kwithin roll 26 as the same is progressively made,`

as oftentimes occursin cylindrical tubes.

It is further observed that in view of the fact that plate 23 ispolygonal and by its margin in a frictional contactual relation with theside wall of the tube, the same will not be displaced when cap is placedupon or removed from neck 22, and therefore need not be anchored in anymanner to the body of the tube.

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A flexible container, adapted to be rolled to atten the same andthereby dispense its contents, and comprising an elongated sheetv ofcellulose material folded to form a body of general hexagonal form incross section and having a top wall, two opposed side wall sections ofthe body being wider than the remaining four side wall sections thereofand one of them consisting of similar members on opposite edges of thesheet overlapped substantially throughout the width of said members andadhesively secured together, a pliable metallic strip disposed andsecured centrally of and between said overlapped members and extendinglongitudinally of the body from a point near the top wall to the lowerend of the body, the lower end portion of the body being graduallyflattened in ared form and having its lower extremity secured incompletely flattened and folded condition to form a roll being disposedparallel with the lower end of the body, said' roll being disposedparallel with the wider side wall sections of the body, and a dischargeneck secured to the top wall.

2. A flexible container, adapted to be rolled to flatten the same andthereby dispense its contents, and comprising an elongated sheet ofrcellulose material folded to form a body of general hexagonal form incross section and having a flat top Wall provided with a centralopening, two yopposed side wail sections of the bodybeing wider than theremaining four side wall sections thereof and one of them consistingofsimilar members on opposite edges of the sheet overlapped substantiallythroughout the width of said members and adhesively secured togetheralong one side of the body, a pliable metallic strip disposed andsecured centrally of and between said overlapped members and extendinglongitudinally of the body from a point near the top wall to the lowerend of the body, the lower end portion of the body being graduallyattened in flared form and having its lower extremity'secured incompletely flattened and folded conditionfto form a roll being disposedparallel with the lower end of the

